USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has $1.3 million to spend in California as part of initiatives to conserve sage grouse and the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.
The grants, part of the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife partnership, typically provide 50% to 70% of the assistance needed for projects.
“We are proud to invest more than $1M this year to assist farmers and ranchers protect these important species on working lands,” said NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez. “Agriculture knows that a healthy habitat for species benefits their operations and NRCS is committed to helping producers achieve their conservation goals.”
WLFW is funded through NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), ”the agency’s flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands,” NTCS said. The service partners with federal and state agencies, conservation groups, and landowners.
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The Sage Grouse Initiative “focuses on enhancing sagebrush habitat on private lands by addressing threats to sustainable grazing operations” in order to maximize benefits to sage grouse populations, NRCS said.
The flycatcher initiative “offers technical and financial assistance to help landowners voluntarily restore riparian areas on private lands.”
